According to the report by Transparency Market Research, the overall opportunity in the global kefir market was worth US$1,300 mn in 2016. Expanding at a CAGR of 5.9% between 2017 and 2025, the market is likely to present an opportunity of US$2154.9 mn by the end of the forecast period in 2025.

The report considers frozen kefir, organic kefir, low fat content kefir, and Greek kefir as the key type segments of the global kefir market. Organic kefir presently leads among other type segments primarily due to its health benefits. The segment of frozen kefir, however, is anticipated to witness the most rapid growth over the report's forecast period.

By flavor, the market has been bifurcated into regular kefir and flavored kefir. Regular kefir accounted for the dominant share of the market in 2016.

Geography-wise, the report divides the global kefir market into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, and Latin America. With a share of more than 50%, Europe acquired the leading position in the market in 2016. The U.K. followed by Germany were the key domestic markets for kefir in Europe.

"The kefir market has been witnessing steady growth over the years as increasing consumption of health-benefitting foods is a general trend observed across the world," according to TMR's lead analyst The kefir market is primarily driven by the health benefits of kefir combined with an array of applications of kefir in food and beverage products. Kefir is a fermented probiotic drink and is loaded with essential nutrients. Kefir is considered to be very healthy for diet conscious consumers and is often recommended for fitness regimes. Further, kefir is also advised to obese and individuals with gastric patients to improve their metabolism and smoothen the bowel movement.

Furthermore, kefir is said to be beneficial for improving lactose intolerance. Being similar to yogurt, kefir contains many useful bacteria that help in lactose digestion. This is because consuming kefir results in destroying bacterial cells in the intestinal tract and in turn release enzymes for better digestion of lactose. This benefits individuals who are lactose intolerant.

With rising health consciousness among individuals and consumers looking for protein alternatives, the kefir market is expected to receive a fillip.

Mental block of Lactose Intolerant Individuals Inhibits Growth

Proving to be a roadblock to the growth of kefir market is mind block of lactose intolerant consumers due to lack of adequate awareness about the health benefits of kefir. Lactose intolerant consumers comprise approximately 65% of the human population globally. The condition is usually present at birth and lasts till adulthood. Despite known that kefir is harmless for this segment, consumers have a mental block regarding consumption of this product.